News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe

Ye, the controversial U.S. rapper formerly known as Kanye West, had been scheduled to play two shows in St. Petersburg in October —  which would have made him the biggest Western artist to perform in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Air raid sirens blared over Kyiv for over 20 hours on Sept. 30, one of the longest sustained attacks the capital has faced since the start of the full-scale war.

Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 188 drones and various missiles, according to Ukraine's air force.

Four people were attempting to leave the town when they stepped on a mine and were injured, while a man collecting nuts was killed by another mine, the local military administration said.

The warhead was designed to destroy high-voltage pylons and steel bridges and contains a 40-kilogram main charge and four additional destructive modules, Serhii Beskrestnov said.

According to Vyriy, the new Slavic drone has a tactical operating range of up to 30 kilometers, approximately twice that of a Chinese-made Mavic.

"Weapons factories in European countries that produce arms for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

In this interview, the Kyiv Independent’s Jimmy Rushton speaks with Sven Kruk, a former German army officer and the CEO of European drone manufacturer Quantum Systems, about Ukraine’s changing air defense needs and what Europe is learning from the battlefield.

Russia told NATO it would be ready to use nuclear weapons if alliance members attempt to isolate Kaliningrad Oblast, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told the Kyiv Independent Sept. 30.

The ongoing Ukrainian offensive, led by the Third Army Corps, achieved success despite a disadvantage in manpower.